CHENNAI: Three days after a midnight ammonia leak caused a scare in residential pockets of Ennore, resulting in hospitalisation of 52 people with nausea and breathing difficulties, Coromandel International Limited has said necessary measures have been taken to ensure public safety in and around the factory.
The fertilizer company, part of Murugappa group, said in a statement on Friday that the seven-member committee appointed by the state government to inspect and prepare interim and detailed reports on the gas leak, has approved Coromandel's emergency response actions.
The committee instructed the factory to resume operations after conducting necessary inspections and ensuring the safety of the ammonia pipeline and systems, it said.
Highlighting the impact of the gas leak, Coromandel said: "The abnormalities in the ammonia unloading pipeline were well below hazardous levels and were quickly brought to zero by the automated trip interlocks and control systems." They said a certified inspection agency conducted a safety audit to ensure the operating conditions of the ammonia pipeline.
TNPCB inspected the leak on Wednesday and said that 28ppm of ammonia was observed in the ambient air during the leak, against CPCB's permissible limit of 0.4ppm -- 70 times more ammonia than safe levels was in the air. Also, TNPCB said Coromandel took 20 minutes to address the gas leak by depressurising and diverting the ammonia gas.
TNPCB member-secretary R Kannan said, "The hazardous levels must have reduced after the ammonia transfer was suspended." The interim assessment report is yet to be made public.
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